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2016 Father’s Day Gift Guide

Fenwick is often thought of as the brand that introduced graphite rods to the world, but the company went back to its deeper roots for this one, reinventing the original Fenwick fiberglass rods with modern S2 fiberglass construction and updated hardware. The Fenglass is available in line weights 3 through 8. fenwickfishing.com

Redington Hydrogen: $300

The 9′ 5-weight Redington Hydrogen at 2.5 ounces uses an anodized, machined aluminum reel seat, lightweight single-foot line guides, and a matte gray finish (no glossy buildup) to step onto the playing field of high-performance lightweight rods. Our tester used the uberlight 4-weight version on the Henry’s Fork, and said the range and delicacy of the Hydrogen make it a perfect dry-fly rod for calm morning Trico hatches. redington.com

Sage Click: $260-$300

This redesigned minimalist reel from Sage lets you be more involved with fighting the fish with an adjustable click-and-pawl drag, and a larger exposed rim to palm the reel when you need to. The machined 6061-T6 aluminum reel also has 40% larger arbor diameter to reduce line memory and pick up line quickly when the fish is running the other way. sageflyfish.com

Redington Zero: $90

These are the lightest trout reels on the market—3 ounces for the largest 4/5-weight, 3.3″ diameter—and surprisingly, they are not machined. Zero reels are die-cast with a skeletonized design Redington says is “unmachinable” by any CNC machine, and stronger than any other die-cast reel. redington.com

Gunnison Reel: $250-$270

The first thing Mayfly Outdoors did after it acquired Ross Reels was to immediately begin production of the all-time classic Gunnison Reel in limited, numbered quantities. The reel was originally discontinued in 1998 but a decade afterward, it was still famous for its rugged durability. The Heritage Series Gunnison has a re-engineered bearing housing, but the spools you bought back in the ’90s will still fit nicely on the new frames, which have the same porting and sizes as the original. rossreels.com

Nymphing Foundations $24.95
This DVD was shot in the real world of public water. Competitive fly fisher and guide, Lance Egan, catches wild browns and rainbows, and shows you how to do the same on your home waters. With multiply camera angles shot in HD, you’ll see every perspective that will make you a better nymph fisherman. flyfisherman.com

Patagonia: $225

Yvon Chouinard’s book Simple Fly Fishing has sold 24,000 copies, and the marketing push from the company has inspired fly fishers to take tenkara outside the realm of trout and try for freshwater fish like carp and bass, and even for saltwater species like tarpon and bonefish. There is no reel on this rod, and the only line you can “give” is by giving up the rod, so Tenkara proponents like Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone recommend either throwing the rod in the water or running like hell when you hook a large fish to avoid snapping the tippet. Patagonia Tenkara rods are modeled after Yvon Chouinard’s original tenkara rod gifted to him from a Japanese fly fisher more than 20 years ago. Manufactured by Temple Fork Outfitters, they come in three different lengths with the 10’6″ model probably the best way to get started if you’ve never before tried reel-less fly fishing. With every rod sold, Patagonia donates $10 to the Madison River Foundation for restoration of O’Dell Creek, an important spring creek spawning tributary of the Madison. patagonia.com

Tenkara USA Rhodo: $215

The white flowers, dark waxy leaves, and overhanging branches of rhododendron are hallmarks of Eastern trout fishing—particularly on small streams. Sometimes a longer rod is difficult to swing, that’s why the telescoping Rhodo works at three different lengths from 8’10” to 10’6″ so you can cast under branches when you can’t see daylight, and extend the rod for more traditional tenkara fishing when you get the chance. The Rhodo answers the question, “What size tenkara rod should I get”? tenkarausa.com

Simms Bugstopper Shirt and Pant: $90-$100

A red, painful sunburn peppered with inflamed, itchy insect bites can turn a dream fly-fishing trip into a sleepless, irritating nightmare. But biting insects are more than just bothersome, they can transmit life-threatening diseases like malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The Simms Bugstopper clothing system includes a UPF50 long-sleeve shirt, pant, hat, neck gaiter, and gloves that all use Insect Shield (insectshield.com) repellent technology to keep insects away. The treatment uses permethrin—a synthetic molecule similar to pyrethrum found in the chrysanthemum flower. Unlike DEET, permethrin is nontoxic, it doesn’t damage your fly lines, and you don’t have to reapply. Bugstopper clothing protects you from head to foot all day, resulting in far fewer bug bites. The Insect Shield treatment lasts from 50 to 70 washings. simmsfishing.com

Orvis/Probar 1,000 Mile Meal Bar: $40 for a box of 12

The new 1,000 Mile Meal Bar sold exclusively through Orvis and its dealers is packed with almonds for a quick 370-calorie meal on the water that will also improve your fishing (in the long run). For every bar sold, Orvis donates $1 to Trout Unlimited’s 1,000-Mile Campaign to reconnect vitally important coldwater tributaries to larger rivers by replacing impassable culverts with modern, fish-friendly designs. New culverts have already opened up new habitat throughout the Northeast; in the Blackfoot drainage of Idaho; the Bear River drainage of Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho; on the Youngs River system in Oregon; and in the Sierra of California. The non-baked bars are dense and packable—perfect for your fishing vest or glove compartment. orvis.com

Simms ProDry Jacket: $550

Let’s face it, most wading jackets are actually hybrid vest/jackets that are designed to be elaborate storage systems for your fly boxes. The Simms ProDry jacket on the other hand is built to do one thing, and do it well. It keeps you dry. This is the jacket for guys who fish out of a boat. You don’t need seven fly box pockets. This is for winter steelheading, Alaska monsoons, tailwater midging, and anyone who carries a pack while doing it. Built from 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro Shell fabric, the Dry Cuff design locks out moisture, and the adjustable hood system and oversized fleece-lined collar work to keep sideways rain out of your face and keep you fishing . Our tester used this jacket through days of rain and Arctic wind on Iceland’s north shore and said “This jacket makes you smile through normally insufferable conditions. Your friends will be drinking coffee and warming their hands by a makeshift fire while you’re catching salmon.” Available in black, boulder, and fury orange in six sizes. simmsfishing.com